ISLAMABAD, June 9: The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) has estimated 10-15 per cent reduction in mango production this season caused by a number of diseases, high wind velocity, frost and very low temperature at flower initiation stage and high temperature at fruit development stage.

The bad news has come at a time when the Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board (PHDEB) has set this year’s mango export target at 1.2m tons, which is 19 times higher than last year’s 66,693 tons.

The board said it would achieve the export target by exploring new international markets including China, Iran, South Africa, Australia, Russia and Eastern Europe fetching $40 million.

Responding to a written question of MMA MNA Jamila Ahmad, Federal Food Minister Sikandar Hayat Bosan informed the National Assembly here on Friday that mango production would be down by 10-15 per cent this season compared to last year. In her question Ms Ahmad had said that there was an apprehension that mango production would be down by 25-35pc this season.

Mr Bosan said Minfal had invited local and foreign experts to visit mango farms in Punjab and Sindh to identify a disease which had caused sudden decline of mango trees.

It is to be mentioned here that in May last year, Minfal had requested the Australian government to send experts to detect the causes of an unknown disease called ‘Sudden Death’, which had destroyed 10 per cent of mango trees in Punjab and Sindh and a large number of Sheeshum-timber countrywide. However, Minfal has yet to show any progress on this issue as more and more trees are becoming victim to the disease.

Minfal’s documents showed that mango trees in Pakistan had been encountering seven major diseases included Powdery Mildew, Anthracnose, Sooty Mould, Bacterial Leaf Spot, Root Rot, Mango Malformation and Sudden Death or Die Back. However, the reasons behind the last two diseases are yet to be confirmed.

Agricultural scientists have suspected the role of insects associated with the problem, as they have observed the presence of large population of Bark Beetle on the trunk of infected trees in Sindh. However, the attack of Bark Beetle was not severe in Punjab although it was present. According to official statistics, in 2003-04 mango trees were spread over an area of 54,300 hectares in Punjab and 47,100 hectares in Sindh and the two provinces produced 707,800 tons and 338,400 tons mangoes, respectively.

Only five districts included Multan, Vehari, Muzaffargarh, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan produced about 75pc of the total mango production of Punjab. In Sindh, mango is largely grown in Mirpur Khas and Hyderabad districts.